The invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus such as an ink-jet printer, an ink jet facsimile printer or an ink-jet plotter, and particularly to an ink cartridge for an ink-jet recording apparatus which can accurately detect and display the consumption state of ink in the recording apparatus, thereby preventing an accidental event such as a sudden ink end from occurring, and also to an apparatus for detecting and displaying an ink consumption state of an ink cartridge.
One method of detecting the quantity of remaining ink of an ink cartridge in an ink-jet recording apparatus is disclosed in FIG. 3 of Japanese patent Application Laid-open No. Hei. 7-125236. In the method, a scale for visual checking is formed on an ink chamber of an ink tank so that the number of sheets which can be further subjected to printing is displayed.
The above method technique has a convenience that the user can know the quantity of remaining ink as required by means of a relatively simple method. However, the user cannot know which size corresponds to the displayed number of sheets which can be further subjected to printing. Therefore, the conventional method technique has room for improvement.
Moreover, the above method has a drawback that an ink chamber in which a porous member is not housed is required and the ink chamber is required to be composed of a transparent material so that the quantity of remaining ink can be seen from the outside, thereby restricting the shape of an ink cartridge.
The conventional method technique has a further drawback that, in order to visually check the ink cartridge, it is necessary that the cover of a printer is opened or the ink cartridge is detached from the printer.
The detachment of an ink cartridge may cause the following problems. When an ink cartridge in use is detached, air is allowed to enter the ink supply path, thereby producing a problem that an ejection failure may occur. During the process of detaching an ink cartridge in use, there arise problems in that the user's hands or the like may be soiled with ink, and that the user may be anxious about damage to the printer or the ink cartridge.